Job 29
1 And Job continued and said in his parable,
Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:
2 Oh that I were as in months past, wherein God preserved me!
O that I were as in months past, In the days when God was my guardian;
3 As when his lamp shone over my head; when by his light I walked through darkness.
When his lamp shined over my head, And when by his light I walked through darkness!
4 [As] when I steadfastly pursued my ways, when God took care of my house.
As I was in the autumn of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent;
5 When I was very fruitful, and my children were about me;
When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me;
6 when my ways were moistened with butter, and the mountains flowed for me with milk.
When I bathed my steps in milk, And the rock poured me out rivers of oil!
7 When I went forth early in the city, and the seat was placed for me in the streets.
When I went forth to the gate by the city, And took my seat in the market-place,
8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and all the old men stood up.
The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the aged arose and stood.
9 And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
The princes refrained from speaking, And laid their hand upon their mouth.
10 And they that heard [me] blessed me, and their tongue clave to their throat.
The nobles held their peace, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
11 For the ear heard, and blessed me; and the eye saw me, and turned aside.
When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; And when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.
12 For I saved the poor out of the hand of the oppressor, and helped the fatherless who had no helper.
For I delivered the poor, when they cried; And the fatherless, who had none to help him.
13 Let the blessing of the perishing one come upon me; yes, the mouth of the widow has blessed me.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, And I caused the heart of the widow to sing for joy.
14 Also I put on righteousness, and clothed myself with judgment like a mantle.
I clothed myself with righteousness, and it clothed itself with me; And justice was my robe and diadem.
15 I was the eye of the blind, and the foot of the lame.
I was eyes to the blind, And feet was I to the lame;
16 I was the father of the helpless; and I searched out the cause which I knew not.
I was a father to the poor, And the cause of him I knew not I searched out;
17 And I broke the jaw teeth of the unrighteous; I plucked the spoil out of the midst of their teeth.
And I broke the teeth of the wicked, And plucked the spoil from his jaws.
18 And I said, My age shall continue as the stem of a palm tree; I shall live a long while.
Then said I, “I shall die in my nest; I shall multiply my days as the sand.
19 [My] root was spread out by the water, and the dew would lodge on my crop.
My root is spread abroad to the waters, And the dew abideth on my branches.
20 My glory was fresh in me, and by bow prospered in his hand.
My glory is fresh with me, And my bow gathereth strength in my hand.”
21 [Men] heard me, and gave heed, and they were silent at my counsel.
To me men gave ear, and waited, And kept silence for my counsel.
22 At my word they spoke not again, and they were very gland whenever I spoke to them.
To my words they made no reply, When my speech dropped down upon them.
23 As the thirsty earth expecting the rain, so they [waited for] my speech.
Yea, they waited for me as for the rain; They opened their mouths wide as for the latter rain.
24 Were I to laugh on them, they would not believe [it]; and the light of my face has not failed.
If I smiled upon them, they believed it not; Nor did they cause the light of my countenance to fall.
25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and lived as a king in the midst of warriors, as one comforting mourners.
When I came among them, I sat as chief; I dwelt as a king in the midst of an army, As a comforter among mourners.
